Legends of Indy: The Men and Moments of the Indianapolis 500

TAG Heuer presents the greatest drivers and moments from a century of Indy 500 races.

Apr 22, 2016

Bob D'olivo / The Enthusiast Network / Getty Images

Mario Andretti celebrates his lone Indy 500 win in 1969. Even after switching to F1 full-time in the Seventies, Andretti returned to Indy 25 times in futile pursuit of a second victory. The "Andretti curse" would extend to sons Michael and Jeff and grandson Marco.

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In 1860, Edouard Heuer sets up a workshop in Saint-Imiger, Switzerland. This Swiss Avant Garde heritage has led to TAG Heuer timing the IndyCar series—the best demonstration of precision timimg expertise in American autosports, with the fastest car and closest finishes. Here, TAG Heuer presents some of the greatest drivers and racing moments in Indianapolis 500 history.

IMS Archives

1. FLYING SOLO Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 in his yellow Marmon "Wasp." He was the only entrant to race without an onboard mechanic, in a single-seat car that he helped design. Harroun also installed a rearview mirror, the first on an automobile, to help him keep an eye on the competition.

Library of Congress

2. FINISH STRONG The next year, with riding mechanics now required, driver Ralph de Palma dominated the race for 196 of 200 laps, building an 11-minute lead. But then the engine in his Mercedes began to fail. He nursed the dying car for several laps before it ground to a halt in Turn 4. He and his mechanic climbed from their car and began to push it toward the finish line. Legend says that de Palma thought he was in the final lap, while in fact, there was another lap to go. The crowd of 80,000 spectators went crazy. Joe Dawson took the lead and the checkered flag. De Palma went on to win the 1915 race.

IMS Archives

3. MEYER'S MILK Louis Meyer won in 1928 as a rookie and again in 1933 (shown) and 1936, making him the first three-time Indy 500 champ. His celebratory glass of milk became a victory-lane tradition. Meyer continued to be a force at Indy as the owner of the Offenhauser engine shop. Offy-powered cars won 18 straight 500 titles starting in 1947.

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4. BOLDFACE Meyer was the first winner to receive the Borg-Warner trophy, after his victory in 1936. The trophy is adorned with sculpted likenesses of every Indy 500 champion.

IMS Archives

5. GLADIATORS The 1960 race is often regarded as the Indy 500's greatest duel. Jim Rathmann defeated defending champ Rodger Ward after a grueling battle in which the two exchanged the lead 14 times in the second half.

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Auto racing lies at the heart of TAG Heuer's brand identity: In 1964, Jack Heuer launched the iconic CARRERA series as tribute to the 1950s Carrera Panamericana in Mexico; and in 2004 TAG Heuer began timing the Indy 500—"the world's greatest race."

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1. DEATH-DEFYING Defending Indy 500 champion Parnelli Jones leaps from his car in 1964 as it is engulfed in the invisible flames of a methanol fire. Jones escaped serious injury, but his title defense was over. Though Jones raced in the 500 for only seven years, the fearsome competitor left an indelible mark on the Memorial Day classic: In 1962, Jones was the first driver to qualify at over 150 mph at Indy. He won the 500 twice as an owner.

John Ethridge

2. SEA CHANGE In the early Sixties, a "rear-engine" revolution spearheaded by Lotus founder Colin Chapman (left) and an all-star cast of grand-prix drivers including Jim Clark (center), Graham Hill (right), and Dan Gurney (not pictured) ended the reign of the big front-engine roadsters. (Although the new cars were technically mid-engine, the term "rear" stuck.)

Lotus first competed at Indy in 1963, with Clark racing to a second-place finish behind Jones. The following year, Clark took pole, and in 1965, he drove a Ford-powered Lotus 38 to victory. By 1968, 32 of the 33 cars in the field had their engine behind the driver. The lone roadster that year was the final front-engine car ever to compete in the 500.

Bob D'olivo / The Enthusiast Network / Getty Images

3. THE KING OF INDY Considered by many to be the greatest American race driver, A. J. Foyt is synonymous with the Indianapolis 500. The hulking Texan, known as much for his toughness and fiery temper as his driving, was the first four-time Indy 500 winner—1961, 1964 (shown), 1967, and 1977. He is the only driver to win in both front- and mid-engine cars, twice in each configuration. Foyt is Indy's iron man, having competed a record 35 consecutive years.

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For over 150 years, TAG Heuer has saluted individuals demonstrating unflinching courage in high-pressure environments. In this tradition and to celebrate the 100th running of the Indy 500, TAG Heuer is proud to have presented this expanded look at the most compelling moments in Indy history.

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1. NONE FOR THE THUMB "Fast enough to win but slow enough to finish" was the strategy Rick Mears used to win Indy four times, in 1979, 1984, 1988, and 1991. In 1982, he crossed the bricks just 0.16 second behind winner Gordon Johncock—the closest 500 finish at the time. If Mears had prevailed, he would have gone on to become Indy's only five-time champion. Known for dominant qualifying performances, Mears started on the pole a record six times in only 16 Indy appearances.

IMS Archives

2. SPIN AND WIN In lap 120 of the 1985 race, Danny Sullivan went low in Turn 1 to pass Mario Andretti for the lead when he lost control of his March 85C and spun out at 200 mph directly in front of Andretti. Thanks to a stunning display of skill and good fortune, both drivers avoided each other and the wall. Twenty laps later, Sullivan passed Andretti in Turn 1 again, this time for good. Sullivan secured his only Indy victory and denied Andretti his best chance for a second win.

Jamie Squire / Getty Images

3. NIMBLE VICTOR Three-time Indy champion (2001, 2002, 2009) Helio Castroneves earned the nickname "Spider-Man" for climbing track fences to celebrate his victories. When the Speedway replaced fencing around the 2.5-mile oval in preparation for Indy's 100th running, officials presented Castroneves with a commemorative section of the old screen. Still active in the sport, the charismatic Brazilian is one of the few contemporary Indy drivers who have crossed into mainstream celebrity. This year, he looks to start his 16th straight Indy 500 in pursuit of a record-tying fourth win.

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